


Root for the Home Team!

by JLaLa



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: A smidge of Gadge, Alternate Universe - Baseball, Battle of the Bay, Complete, F/M, One-Shot, everlark, giantsfans!Everlark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:48:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28795647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JLaLa/pseuds/JLaLa
Summary: A game between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A's brings out the worse in Katniss, especially when she sees Peeta, her almost love, has brought a date with him.
Relationships: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Comments: 7
Kudos: 110





	Root for the Home Team!

**Author's Note:**

> Just FYI--I'm not an Oakland A's hater or anything, I just happen to enjoy the Bay Rivalry. It always makes for an interesting game. I got nothing but love for Oakland!
> 
> Though my heart remains in San Francisco.
> 
> *Also, this is a rather old story. If you're from the Bay Area and a baseball fan, you'll see why.

**Root for the Home Team!**

**_San Francisco, CA_ **

_AT &T Park_

She couldn’t believe that Peeta brought _her_ to the game.

“What are you staring at?” Gale, her best friend, and pseudo-date, asked, hearing her scoff from their seats behind home plate. His eyes followed hers as Peeta Mellark and his date, Madge Undersee, walked down the row towards them. “Seriously, Katniss. Get over it—you’re the one who turned him down. Remember?”

Katniss turned to Gale, her smoky eyes suddenly blazing.

“I’m completely alright. It’s just that—I can’t believe he brought someone who's an A’s fan!”

She sneered seeing Madge in her green jersey with gold stitching and matching green hat with the Oakland A’s emblem stitched on the front.

“Katniss—I’m an A’s fan,” Gale said as he pointed at his own green cap and identical jersey.

“Well, that’s neither here nor there—“

“Hey Gale!” Peeta greeted before he looking to Katniss, a frown on his face. “Katniss.”

“Hey,” she responded, suddenly interested in watching Lou Seal, the Giants Mascot, dance on the field. Katniss turned and give Madge an onceover. “Hey Madge, nice jersey.”

“Thanks, Katniss!” Madge replied with a grin. “I love that Giants jersey on you—so cute!” The pretty blonde waved at Gale. “Nice seeing you again, Gale!”

“You too, Madge! Nice to know I have a comrade!” Katniss elbowed him and he looked at her in irritation. “What am I supposed to do? Ignore her when she’s talking to me?”

“Don’t you know?” Peeta suddenly said as he sat next to Katniss. “Ignoring people is what Katniss does.” He pulled down his black Giants baseball cap and adjusted his own jersey, not bothering to look at the woman next to him, his eyes instead on the baseball field. “Especially after she sleeps with them.”

“Peeta!” Madge suddenly called out. “That’s not cool!”

“I agree,” Katniss sneered as she met Peeta’s frosty blue eyes. “It’s especially not cool when you find out that certain people have been making their rounds in your sorority, and you have to ignore your sisters talking about said person’s moves!”

Peeta turned suddenly, his hand going to her arm. “Those bitches are lying—“

“Hands off, Mellark!” Katniss said as she yanked her arm away, her eyes suddenly pained. “I was never yours! Not by a long shot!”

_“Good afternoon and welcome to AT &T Park! HOME OF YOUR SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS!”_

The announcement was met with an eruption of rowdy cheers from around the park.

“Katniss, calm down,” Gale suddenly said, his eyes concerned seeing his best friend hurt.

Next to Peeta, Madge was saying the same thing.

Another announcement came over the speakers of the park: _“Will everyone please rise for our National Anthem…”_

Katniss took a deep breath as she stood up and smoothed down her jersey.

“I’m fine,” she finally assured Gale. “Just don’t leave me alone with him.”

++++++

_Sixth Inning_

As the game got going, Katniss was able to calm down. The game was interesting enough because of the local teams’ rivalry, but it was also an overall fun game. In the 5th Inning, Buster Posey managed to hit a home run into the Bay.

When it happened, everyone was on their feet and Katniss screamed excitedly as the bases had been loaded during the hit, the Giants were now leading. She high fived the two guys in front of her and the older couple behind her.

She suddenly found herself face to face with Peeta.

He held up his hand to her.

“High-five?” he said, his cobalt eyes hopeful.

“Why not?” Katniss tapped her hand quickly against his, before letting her hand fall to her side. Despite the quickness of their touch, her hand was suddenly burning from the contact, kindling her body, and filling it with his warmth.

As she sat down, Katniss tried not to let the memories of their one time together.

They had met during his fraternity party. Both he and Gale were frat brothers, her best friend having been the one to introduce her to the handsome blond with the shy smile. She and Peeta had spent the whole night talking.

Before Katniss had left, she had hastily put her number in his cell at his request.

They talked to one another for weeks via text messages since they were both so busy. Katniss was a psychology major and he was in political science.

The irony of the situation was that she had been the one to introduce Peeta to Madge. She was a sister in Katniss’ sorority and was also majoring in psychology. Honestly, Katniss didn’t even hate Madge; she was actually a really cool person.

The thing that bugged her was that Madge was practically perfect for Peeta. She was sweet and good-natured, the complete opposite of Katniss, who was often broody and serious.

Peeta had told her that he liked her that way.

It was the night that she had finally invited him to her dorm, after weeks of dates, and intensely good kisses that left her aching and about ready to do him anywhere.

The boy did not disappoint her.

Katniss awoke sated with him snoring against her shoulder.

She had spent the day grinning from ear to ear.

Then cold, harsh reality hit her the following evening during a meeting with her sisters. It had been the pledges who had started the conversation, each girl talking about the boys of their associated fraternity—Peeta’s fraternity.

She didn’t pay attention, instead focusing on the date that she had planned with Peeta the following weekend—the one to the Giants game that they were currently sitting together at.

Katniss’ ears only perked when Peeta’s name suddenly came out of one of her sister's lips. She remained silent as the girl went into graphic detail of her night with the infamous Peeta Mellark. Some of the other sisters related common tales each laughing over the similarities of their stories.

Madge was the only one who remained silent, squeezing Katniss’ shoulder, when she saw the look in her eyes.

Katniss excused herself, immediately erasing his number in her cellphone when she reached her dorm, then promptly bursting into tears.

She had been used—and it fucking hurt.

The next day, her phone inbox was filled with texts from him asking her what was wrong, if she was mad at him, and worst of all, why had she used him?

“Katniss?” She looked over at Gale, who was watching her in concern. “You okay?”

“Sure, why?”

“You look a little off,” he remarked. “My mom just texted me—something to do with my brother. It’s the beginning of the 7th inning stretch. I’m going to make this phone call out in the hall real quick, okay?”

She turned to see that Peeta and Madge had disappeared. “Sure, go ahead.”

Katniss closed her eyes and pulled her hat over her face, trying to quell the headache that was beginning to form. She considered getting up to leave, but the idea of having to be surrounded by the people in the hallways of the ballpark was a suffocating thought.

Gale would be back anyway.

“Are you alright?” She pushed her hat up to see Peeta staring down at her. Sitting down, he held out his soda to her. “Root beer?”

“No thanks,” she replied and then looked behind him. “Where is Madge?”

“Ladies’ Room,” he informed her. “You know—you seem like you’re mad at her.”

“Why would I be?”

“She’s not really my date, Katniss,” Peeta said, his eyes pleading with her. “We’re just friends!"

“I’m sure that’s the excuse you make for all your girls—“

“It isn’t!”

Katniss turned to him. “I get it. I’m just another notch in the bedpost,” she said, biting her lip. “It’s college, right? That’s what you’re supposed to do. Get laid as many times as you can—“

“Katniss, you’re not a notch.” He placed his hand over hers. “The truth is that I did hook up with one of your sisters, a really long time ago, and she never got over it. Delly saw it as the prime opportunity to hurt me—through you. Because she knew…” His hand was suddenly cupping her cheek. “…she knew—“

She looked down, begging her eyes to not water, but the tears came anyway.

Her breath hitched, her heart pounding as she stared him. “Knew what?”

“HEY! DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU’RE ON THE KISS CAM?”

Katniss turned to look up at the man who was sitting behind her with his wife. “What?”

“Katniss—" She looked over at Peeta, who was pointing ahead. “Look!”

There they were, framed in a giant, ghastly heart on the jumbo screen; Peeta look as panicked as she did.

“No! No!” She swung her arms out in an X motion as Peeta shook his head erratically “We’re not together!”

The crowd began to chant: “ _KISS! KISS!_ ”

“I’m going to be sick!” Katniss shouted. “I can’t deal with the staring!” Turning to Peeta, she pleaded with her eyes. “JUST DO IT QUICKLY!”

“WHAT?” he yelled as the crowd continued to chant and their faces remained on the screen. Katniss’ face was turning greyer than her eyes. “FINE!”

Their lips met in a brief kiss.

 _“BOOO…”_ The crowd yelled.

Even Lou Seal gave them a thumbs down.

Words appeared below their reddened faces on the screen: _YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!_

“Is the screen mocking us?” Peeta asked incredulously.

It continued: _COME ON WUSSIES!_

“I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS SHIT!” Katniss suddenly screamed. Grabbing Peeta’s jersey, she yanked him towards her and smashed her lips onto his in a bruising kiss. The crowd erupted in cheers and Katniss pulled away as her eyes went to the screen angrily. “ARE YOU HAPPY—“

She was suddenly pulled back into another kiss—this time initiated by Peeta, and her arms found themselves around his neck as she pressed against him.

Finally, they pulled away and Katniss met his eyes, dazed by the contact.

“I don’t think the camera is on us anymore.”

“That wasn’t for the camera,” he told her. “That was for me. Delly knew that I was falling for you and she used that to get back at me. In the process, she hurt you, and I’m so sorry for that.” Peeta pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her. “I’m so sorry, baby.”

She looked up at him, her eyes watering. “So, you were falling for me?”

“Nope, I’ve already fallen. Fallen hard. So hard, that I could really give a shit about having the word, ‘ _Wussies_ ’, written under us on national television,” he told her with a grin. “It doesn’t matter—as long as we leave this game together.”

Katniss pressed closer against him as she met his tender gaze, a soft smile on her face. “Okay.”

“Okay, what?” he asked as a grin filled his lips.

“Okay to everything,” Katniss replied before their lips met once more.

They never did find out who won the game.

++++++

“Brilliant work,” Madge remarked as she sat in the control room next to Gale. “I thought it would take a lot longer for them to fold.”

Gale shook his head. “Nah—Katniss doesn’t like to be stared at and Peeta can’t take an insult. It was bound to happen.” He looked over at the man at the control panel. “Thanks, Finnick.”

“Anything for a brother,” the man said to Gale as they shook hands. “You two better take off before they realize they’ve been played.”

“Of course,” Gale said as he stood up. Looking over at Madge, he held out his hand. “Want to go grab a burger?”

Madge took it with a smile. “Lead the way.”

**FIN.**


End file.
